Sunday Jun 29, 2003

Zendo, Please

In the same eclectic way, I find truth, wisdom, and the umbrella of it all—awareness—in all those who came before me that I respect. There is no point in reinventing the wheel.

We experience the world differently. Here are a few ways of seeing reality. Where do you stand?

Existentialism is a philosophy emphasizing freewill in coming to terms with subjective meaning and meaninglessness in one’s existence; it focuses on being, God, and consciousness and is based on the teachings of Sören Kierkegaard (20th c.). There is lots of thinking going on among this group.

Transcendentalism is a philosophy emphasizing thought processes in the discovery of reality; it is a philosophy with a focus on the intuitive and spiritual rather than an empirical basis of knowledge—the movement was developed by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau (U.S., 19th c.).

As transcendental knowledge is from the soul, it is by definition beyond thought—you cannot think about pure awareness. You can meditate to get there—art is one form of getting there from here.

Zen is the practice of self-discipline and meditation to achieve direct spiritual enlightenment instead of adhering to blind faith and dogma; Zen is also a variety of Mahayana Buddhism (practiced especially in Japan and Korea) that seeks intuitive illumination of satori through simplicity, meditation, and instruction from masters. I like this model.

Find a Zendo, take a deep breath, find your purpose in life, and meaning will be revealed.»